In efforts to prevent fraud and protect its drivers' accounts from being compromised, Uber has introduced its new 'Real-Time ID' intelligent safety feature in Nigeria, Ghana and Kenya.

As reported by Vanguard, the feature was introduced as a pilot to driver-partners in South Africa earlier this year and has since been introduced to other markets in Africa.

The technology works by prompting driver-partners to periodically share a selfie in the app before going online and accepting rides.

"This feature works on facial recognition technology and begins by identifying the drivers face, then it builds a feature set by focusing on key features, and finally, compares the feature set to the validated photo Uber has on file.

"If the two photos don't match, the account is temporarily blocked while Uber investigates the situation. This helps Uber to ensure in real time that the driver-partner using the app matches the account it has on file," says Alon Lits, general manager for Uber Sub-Saharan Africa.

He adds that riders can feel safe knowing that their driver has been verified and driver-partners can rest assured that a fraudster is not using their account.

Vanguard reports that this feature proactively and efficiently builds more security into the app as it takes only a few seconds to complete. "Real-time ID check assures riders that when they are picked up, the right person is behind the wheel," explains Lits.

According to Uber, this software feature is a result of various solutions being tried and tested in face, voice, and gesture recognition. "Face verification stood out on top compared to all other solutions and is an example of proactive technology that solves potential challenges before they occur."

The feature is however set to roll-out to limited driver-partners, although not immediately. "During our pilot of Real-Time ID Check over the past few months in South Africa, we learned that more than 99% of drivers were verified. This new feature makes sense as a simple act of taking a selfie is a language that people all over the world understand," concludes Lits.